"Could you tell I was deliberately provoking him?"


    "Absolutely."


    Tricia knew exactly what kind of person Sophie was. She would never intentionally say things to provoke someone without reason. The words Sophie had just spoken seemed designed to force Ricardo to lose his temper, leaving him outwardlyposed but likely seething on the inside.


    "So, you noticed I was trying to rile him up, yet he, being in the thick of it, couldn''t see it." A slight smile yed on Sophie''s lips as she continued, "Ricardo wants to take Julian down a peg. Since he can''t make a deal with me, he''ll have to look elsewhere. We need to give him a strong push to make him desperate."


    Tricia frowned, "Are you nning a trap?"


    "Let''s have our people knock on his door tomorrow. For someone as proud as Ricardo, he won''t be able to bear such an insult. He''ll quickly look to align with those who share his goals against us." "Isn''t he worried about the consequences?"


    "I''ve already outlined the consequences to him. If Ricardo truly cared about them, he wouldn''t ignore Bloomsbury. Right now, his entire focus is on expanding the Devonport territory and taking Julian down. He can''t afford to care about much else."


    Perhaps the Cloude family''s wealth made Ricardo overly confident. He believed that even a loss-making deal wouldn''t significantly harm the Cloude estate.


    But he forgot one crucial rule of business: never underestimate your opponent. With his attention only on what was ahead and ignoring potential pitfalls, he was bound to face a significant downfall eventually.


    Bang!


    Inside the private room, Ricardo flipped the items on the table, and Booker entered, immediately asking, "Mr. Ricardo, what... what happened?"


    "Rally everyone immediately! No matter the cost or how much PR power we need to use, I want Julian gone from the big screen within a month!"


    Noticing the grim determination in Ricardo''s eyes, Booker inquired, "Mr. Ricardo, did things not go well with Ms. Sophie? Maybe we could try talking to her again another day..." "Talk? Sophie had no intention of talking to me!"


    Recalling the way Sophie had looked at him, Ricardo felt a surge of anger. She was just a woman backed by James and Colby. How dare she speak to him in such a tone! Ricardo coldly dered, "I''ll say it again: use all means necessary. If Julian isn''t gone within a month, consider yourself out of a job."


    Then, Ricardo turned and left.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Booker stood there, stunned. Having worked with Ricardo for so many years, this was the first time he''d heard Ricardo utter such harsh words, leaving him in disbelief.


    The next morning, at the S


    Corporation''s office, Tricia handed the contract to Sophie, saying, "As per your instructions, Ms. Sophie, all our partners have agreed to do as you''ve asked. They''ll initiate contact with Ricardo, indicating they want to sign with the Cloude family. In return, we''ll reward them


    handsomely."


    Sophie nodded, her lips curving into a slight smile as she looked at the signed contracts.


    "Letting them contact Ricardo would


    be too obvious. Let''s leak a hint to the Cloude family so theye to our partners. Then we can make Ricardo pay dearly, and our partners won''t need to worry about the rest."


    "But, will Ricardo really take the bait?"


    "He will," Sophie said calmly. "A person who''s lost reason and feels belittled naturally craves victory. Once hooked, he''ll invest a fortune and all his energy without considering the consequences." Tricia found this reasoning quite sound. "By the way, Ms. Sophie, there''s something else."


    "What is it?"


    As Sophie was about to take a sip of her tea, Tricia said, "Mr. Gordon sent his secretary this morning to inquire about your debut on the stage..."


    Pfft!


    Sophie spat out her tea, leaving Tricia bewildered, "Ms. Sophie?"


    "I''m fine! Go on... you were saying?"


    "Well, Mr. Gordon mentioned that since you had signed a contract, he suggests you visit Aldridge Global when you can. There is no need for a group debut. A solo debut will do. As for the expenses, the profits would be split with Aldridge Global seventy-thirty."


    "What? They''re still trying to negotiate expenses with me?"


    Tricia replied somewhat awkwardly, "That''s what Mr. Gordon''s secretary said this morning."